Choosing a kitchen countertop is an important choice since so much money is involved and because this is a purchase that you will be looking at every day for many years. Choosing a countertop is as much about appearance as it is about function. For many homeowners, the choice narrows down to a solid surface countertop material (such as Engineer Quartz) or natural granite countertops.

Solid surface material and granite are both premium countertop materials that will return excellent value to the homeowners for years, plus each has good resale value. Beyond that, you will find that the two countertop materials vary greatly. In fact, the only attribute that both solid surface material and granite share is that they look somewhat alike—at least from a distance.

Engineer Quartz and other solid surface countertop materials are fully synthetic products that are manufactured by mixing acrylic, epoxide, and polyester resins with various pigments and a filler material derived from natural bauxite, a sedimentary stone.One advantage to engineer quartz and other solid surface materials is that pieces can be glued together with a solvent so that the seams are entirely invisible. This gives the appearance of a huge, continuous slab of unseamed countertop.

Granite

Pure granite countertops are made from slabs of natural igneous stone that are sawn from huge blocks of quarried granite. The polished slabs are sold and shipped to various fabricators, who customize countertops and other building products from the stone.

Granite countertops come in many different colors and styles, depending on where the stone was quarried. Colors can range from a nearly total black to nearly pure white, with pinks, greens, yellows, browns, and even blue tones possible.

Many types of granite are blends of different colors. Granite countertops are noted for having random graining patterns that make every countertop truly unique. These are among the most expensive countertops you can buy, and they send a strong signal of luxury.

Granite countertops are typically very dramatic, with color and pattern blends that are entirely unique to each countertop. Unlike a solid surface material, every slab of granite has a one-of-a-kind appearance.

These countertops shine as designed elements, drawing attention to themselves. Colors can range from palest white to darkest black, with an amazing diversity of colors in between. Bright blue, yellow, and red granites are available if you are willing to pay a premium price to have a countertop slab fabricated.

Some homeowners prefer the look of natural granite as being decidedly better than solid surface material—at least when the materials are viewed on their own. These people love the look of natural stone, with its color variation and deep luster.

But the drama of a granite countertop is not for everyone. The mottled and often bold coloring of granite can be a bit too busy for many decorating schemes. More notably, all of that color can do an annoyingly good job of hiding crumbs and smears on the countertop surface; often a granite top looks perfectly clean when it's anything but.